"We live in a world of easily accessible maps; just tap your smartphone and you have instant access to directions, public transportation information,
locations of landmarks, crime data, and neighborhood facts. But our map
knowledge is limited by the fact that no two cities collect data the
same way. Maps often aren’t drawn to the same scale, and up until now,
there hasn’t been a way to compare data on things like income, cost of
living, water distribution, and power grids."

Here are some instructions for the site - a really interesting and useful addition to the plethora of great free spatial sites available for the classroom.Click here to go directly to the comparison section of the site

The Urban Observatory city comparison
app enables you to explore the living fabric of great cities by browsing
a variety of cities and themes.

To change Themes, click on a theme name in the Themes list.

To change Cities, click on the city name in the Cities list, or drag-and-drop it over a map.

The TED creator has big plans for the Observatory in the future.

"It
should be 100 cities, connected to a source that updates it like an
app," he says. "Cities could learn from the mistakes and failures of
others."

For now, check out the Urban Observatory website, which features most
of the exhibit’s city comparison functionality. Here’s a look at the
youth population of Abu Dhabi, New York, and Tokyo, emphasizing areas
where youth make up over 33% of the total population.

And here’s a housing density comparison between Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, and Milan.

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Who am I?

I have taught history, geography and civics and citizenship in the South Australian education system since 1976. I have been actively involved in the promotion of geography and history over the years, in particular the use of spatial technology in schools. I am a Past Chair of the Australian Geography Teachers' Association (Chair 2008-13) and Immediate Past President of the Australian Alliance of Associations in Education (2013-present). During the development of the Australian Curriculum: Geography I was a member of the ACARA Advisory Panel (2009-2013) and Executive Director of the ESA GeogSpace project. From 2007-2011 and in 2015 I was the Manager for the Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) in the South Australian Department for Education and Child Development (DECD). Presently I am a Teaching Academic in HaSS Education at the University of South Australia and the Manager for the Premier's ANZAC Spirit School Prize in DECD.